28 May 2026

I have had two opportunities this past spring to participate as an attending author in book events at two different local breweries, Cushwa's and Heavy Seas. A local, independent bookstore, Queen Takes Book, orchestrated the Cushwa's event. As a fan of the craft beer movement, this was a special treat for me.

I never really thought about this as a good mix (brews and books) but guess what? It is!

The combo of largish warehouse space, good beer and a relaxed atmosphere makes for a convivial setting for folks to browse through book offerings. I had so many great conversations with readers and made wonderful connections with the other authors.

I also experienced a first in my book sales career: a lady with two small kids casually walked by my booth. With little more than a second of engagement, she declared she wanted to purchase all four of my titles available. My mouth immediately gaped open at her pronouncement before I scrabbled to accommodate her request. 

It's made me really think about what settings work---and do not work---for book events. And I will be keeping an eye for more pints and pages style events like these. That's for sure.